Even for ancient people, this week's story isn't anything they would've had a category for! Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy once again explore the story of "Doubting Thomas". How does this reading explain the slowness of understanding the resurrection in daily life, what are we to make of Jesus' body still showing his wounds, and what is the peace that Jesus promised?

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes and Application

1. What does it mean that resurrection begins behind locked doors rather than out in the open? 
2. Why do you think John emphasizes belief over “faith” language? What kind of belief is being invited here?
3. What does it look like to live as a “resurrection community” in a world described as addicted to violence or despair?

Personal Reflection

1. Do you resonate more with Thomas’ need to see and touch, or with those who came to believe without seeing? Why?
2. What does it mean for you personally to “know something in your knower” rather than just intellectually understand it?
3. How do you respond to the idea that Jesus returns still bearing wounds? What does that say to your own scars?

Broader Spiritual Considerations 

1. What might it mean for the Church today to take seriously that “belief unfolds slowly” rather than instantly?
2. In a culture drawn to spectacle and “signs,” how do we cultivate a faith that rests in relationship rather than proof?
3. If Easter is not just celebration but activation, what would it look like for churches to emphasize “living resurrection” as much as proclaiming it?

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